Power electronic modules are semiconductor packages that are used in power electronic circuits. Power electronic modules are typically used in vehicular and industrial applications, such as in inverters and rectifiers. The semiconductor components included within the power electronic modules are typically insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) semiconductor chips, metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) semiconductor chips, junction gate field effect transistor (JFET) semiconductor chips, or other suitable controlled devices. The IGBT and MOSFET semiconductor chips have varying voltage and current ratings. Some power electronic modules also include additional semiconductor diodes (i.e., free-wheeling diodes) in the semiconductor package for free-wheeling currents of inductive loads or for overvoltage protection.
In power electronic modules with paralleled devices (i.e., modules within inverters or converters, and semiconductor chips within modules), an inductive voltage drop occurs from module to module or from semiconductor chip to semiconductor chip if the load or supply current flows in a direction along which the devices are placed. The voltage drop is caused by di/dt in the stray or parasitic inductance between the paralleled devices. The most interfering voltage drop is between emitters (or sources) as these are reflected in the driving (auxiliary) emitters. This voltage drop causes deterioration of the gate drive voltage that is applied as one common gate voltage for all paralleled devices.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.